Winch drag mechanism



June 9, 1942. w, w, HAASE WINCH DRAG MECHANISM Filed Dec. 9, 1940 in MW. wile/t z/mm l fflwj Patented June 9, 1942 WINCH DRAG MECHANISM Wilbert W. Haase, Forest Park, 111., assignor to Wilbert W. Haase Co., Forest Park, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 9, 1940, Serial 'No.-369,'226

6 "Claims.

This invention relates in general to a winch drag mechanism and more particularly to such a mechanism which is adapted for controlling operation of winches or lowering devices of the types in common use for lowering and raising burial devices such as vaults and the like.

An important object of the invention is to provide a drag for association with a burial winch or the like which will permit of relatively free operation of the winch in one direction, such as when the winch is operated for raising a vault or thelike, and which will arrest or retardlowernow in use may be economically equipped.

Other objects of the invention, such as the economy of construction and efficiency of operation will be apparent from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing discloses an embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing Figure 1 is an elevational View of .a winch pedestal of a type in common :use for lowering burial vaults equipped with a drag mechanism embodying my invention.

"Fig. 21is an end face view of the drag attachment shown in Fig. l, as viewed from the right in that figure; and;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal and perpendicular section taken substantially von line 3-3 in Fig. 2 showing details of construction and illustrating operation thereof.

'To illustrate the inventionI have shown a winch pedestal including a supporting body ll in which a rotatable element I2 is supported for raising and lowering burial vaults or the like through suitable cables and or connecting devices and in response to manual operation by means of a suitable crank l3 or the like, and a drag attachment l4 constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention.

As is usual in winch devices the rotatable element I2 is actuated from a key stem [5 through suitable reducing transmission devices, such as a worm gear l6 secured to the rotatable element I2 and a companion worm I! carried with an operating shaft Hi, the exposed end of which forms the key stem IS.

The shaft I8 is supported adjacent the worm gear [6 and in the supporting body H in suitable antifriction bearings 2| and 22 and is registered between a suitable end bearing cap 23 and a sealing ring 24. The sealing ring 24 is formed as a part of a closure device, similar to the cap 23 in standard winches, which is replaced by a drag attachment formed in accordance with this invention as will be obvious from the following description.

The drag attachment I4 illustrated includes a pan shaped-drum part 3| the base wall .of which is centrally apertured as at 32 .to engage over and register with the end of the shaft I8. The sealing ring 24 above mentioned may be attached to the base Wall in register with the aperture therein and by means of rivets 33 or the like. The drum part 3| is rigidly secured to the supporting body II by means of threaded machine screws 34 or the like and the ,inner surface of the rim 35 thereof ismachined to provide .a uniform friction surface 36 and a retaining .rim .31.

In accordance with this invention a drag element is provided for cooperating with the .drum part 3| to prevent or retard movement of the rotatable element 12 in one direction only or to permit unrestricted movement thereof in either direction in accordance with operating requirements and to illustrate means for accomplishing this result I have shown a friction rdevice includ ing a friction band 4|, a pressure band 42, .and a coupling device 43, mounted within the drum part 3|.

The friction band 4| is a circularly formed strip of Woven or tightly compressed frictionlmaterial similar to that commonly known as "brake lining and is securely riveted to the pressure .band 42 by means of rivets 44 suitably distributed about the band.

The pressure vband 42 is a circularly formed strip of spring steel or a similarly elastic material formed to a diameterlsomewhat greater than the drum part M at the surface 36 thereof so that it will tend to expand-within the .drum part upon assembly and will normally apply .a constant and uniform pressure to the friction band 4|.

The bands 4| and 42 are proportioned in width to flt freely between the retaining rim 3'! and'the base Wall of the drum part .31, and in .length, to form a nearly complete band as illustrated, such as may be sprung inwardly .to permit assembly and for functional reasons tobe later described.

The-material of the band42 may be folded to form a radially extending web 45 as illustrated in Figs. Zand 3,-or a similarly formed device may be attached thereto to provide a means of attachment for the coupling device 43.

The coupling device 43 may be :any :suitable device for separably connecting the friction band assembly to the stem I5 and accordingly I have shown a rigid body .having companion :lugs 48 formed integral therewith and spaced apart to embrace the web 45 of the band 42, and a bifurcated end 41 forming a socket 48 in which the stem l may be engaged. A bearing pin 49 extending through suitable aligned apertures in the lugs 46 and the web 45 secures the assembly while permitting clockwise movement of the coupling device 43 to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 or out of engagement with the stem l5.

Limit stops 5| may be formed integral with the lugs 46 to limit movement of the coupling device 43 to requirements.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the coupling device 43 may be disengaged from the stem |5 or shifted to the position shown by dotted lines in this figure, when the socket portion of the crank I3, also indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, may be engaged with the stem I5 and the winch may be operated normally to facilitate rapid adjustments of the winch or to permit unrestricted operation thereof when lightly loaded.

When the Winch is heavily loaded or when it is desired to retard, stop or control lowering movement thereof the coupling device 43 is engaged with the stem I5 as illustrated.

In the embodiment illustrated the winch is arranged so that the rotatable element 52 thereof will lift as an incident to clockwise movement thereof, viewing Fig. 1, and like movement of the stem l5, viewing Fig. 2, and so as to lower on counter-clockwise movement of these parts. However, it will be obvious that left and right hand drag elements may be provided in accordance with requirements and therefore only one will be described.

Clockwise movement of the stem l5 when coupled to the bands 4| and 42 through the coupling device 43 tends to wrap the bands about the stem I5 and reduce the diameter thereof until frictional engagement with the surface 36 of the drum 3| is broken or reduced to a negligible factor and thereafter continued relatively free rotation is permitted.

Similarly counter-clockwise movement of the stem tends to unwrap or expand the bands 4| and 42 and consequently increase the frictional engagement with the drum until the coefficient of friction thereof is exceeded after which sl ip. page will occur.

It has been found suitable to proportion the drag elements so that, in the event of breakage of the crank I3 or the accidental disengagement thereof while the winch is heavily loaded, these elements will lock the winch against lowering movement in response to the applied load while permitting normal lowering movement in response to rotation of the stem l5 subject to the controlling effect of the drag elements.

While a manually operable winch is illustrated, it will be obvious that the invention is equally applicable to power actuated winch devices.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: f

1. For association with a winch device including a rotatable element and an actuating stem coordinated therewith, a drag attachme'nt for controlling operation of said rotatable element acting through and being subject to movement of said actuating stem in one direction only, and manually operable coupling means carried by the drag attachment whereby unrestricted operation of the actuating stem may be permitted upon occasion.

2. For association with a winch device including a rotatable element and an actuating stem coordinated therewith, means coacting with said actuating stem and being operable to prevent predetermined operation of said rotatable element in response to a load applied thereto while permitting retarded operation thereof in response to the applied load when said actuating stem is coordinately actuated, said means including a spirally flexing friction element supported to become inoperable while a load applied to said rotatable element is being lifted in response to operation of said actuating stem.

3. For association with a winch device including a rotatable element and an actuating stem coordinated therewith, means coacting with said actuting stem and being operable to prevent predetermined operation of said rotatable element in response to a load applied thereto and being inoperable while a load applied thereto is being lifted in response tooperation of said actuating stem, said means including a drag element and connecting latch device carried thereby and arranged to be manually disengageable to permit rapid adjustments of the winch device to operating conditions.

4. An attachment for burial winch devices having a rotatable element for effecting raising and lowering of burial vault parts and the like and an operating stem for actuating said rotatable element cooperatively mounted in a support, comprising cooperating stationary and movable retarding elements attached to said support, and a manually operable coupling device carried by said movable retarding element for operably connecting the movable retarding element to said operating stem for controlling predetermined operation of said rotatable element upon occasion.

5. An attachment for burial winch devices having a rotatable element for effecting raising and lowering of burial vault parts and the like and an operating stem for actuating said rotatable element cooperatively mounted in a support, comprising a brake drum surrounding said operating stem and attached to said support, and a brake element attached to and flexing radially from the operating stem into frictional engagement with said brake drum, said brake element being adapted to tightly engage the brake drum when the operating stem is urged in one direction and to drag with respect thereto when said stem is urged in an opposite direction.

6. For association with a winch device including a rotatable element and an actuating stem coordinated therewith, a drag attachment for controlling predetermined operation of said rotatable element, said drag attachment includ ing a fixed element and a movable element, and a manually operable coupling device carried by the movable element thereof, said coupling device being arranged to interlockingly engage said rotatable element whereby the manual disengagement thereof is permitted to facilitate unrestricted operation of said rotatable element upon occasion.

WILBERT W. HAASE. 

